Chapter 288: CHAPTER 288 - I'm Not Saying Caitlyn is Bad, But You Deserve Better
The satellite entered its expected orbit and unfolded its solar panels, establishing a data connection with the ground base.
Helpless, Li Lin returned to the ground with Zoe clinging to his side, introducing her to everyone.
Since the camera on the rocket had been promptly cut off by the AI when Zoe appeared, the people in the control room had no idea what had happened in space.
At first, everyone was puzzled to see a cute little girl beside Li Lin. But when Zoe ignored Li Lin's instructions and introduced herself, the room erupted in astonishment.
"Hello everyone! I'm Zoe from Mount Targon. I love star butterflies and unicorns. My hobbies include traveling through different dimensions, watching the end of worlds, and playing with space puppies!"
Initially, everyone thought Zoe was just a delusional girl, but as Li Lin bitterly smiled and introduced her further, everyone was left speechless and shocked.
"Zoe... she's the Aspect of Twilight. She was the one who altered the physical laws around the rocket just now."
Zoe quickly became the guest of honor at the satellite base.
Learning from Li Lin that Zoe loved sweets, members of various families, including Cassandra, ordered their people to fly to Piltover and buy desserts and cakes, almost buying out the day's supply from every bakery in the northern district to please this "goddess."
This fawning behavior triggered Zoe's memories of being revered and worshiped by the tribes on Mount Targon for thousands of years.
She didn't like these people, so she engaged in some dimensional space talk with Heimerdinger, discussing topics like Navier-Stokes, intersecting shapes in four-dimensional space, and unobservable functions.
Afterward, she turned her attention to Kai'Sa, examining her living skin for a long time before losing interest when the "disgusting bug shell" wilted upon her touch. She then went to find Li Lin, who was explaining recent events to Caitlyn.
Right in front of Caitlyn, Zoe dragged Li Lin through a portal back to Piltover, demanding he show her around this unfamiliar city.
Unfortunately, it was late, and most shops were closed without the backdrop of the Progress Day celebration.
Finally, Li Lin took her to the outskirts of Piltover, opening a portal to the top of Piltover Mountain, and had mechanical soldiers bring some of Caitlyn's favorite desserts.
On the mountaintop, Zoe stretched her legs, sitting on a rock, leaning back on her left hand, and nibbling on a pastry with her right. "Boring, boring, so boring! At least the atmospheric refraction tonight favors strong short waves. I like that."
If you're bored, just leave already. Stop clinging to me; there's still so much work at the satellite base...
Li Lin sighed silently, turning his head, "By the way, don't you have a mission back in Runeterra?"
Just as she took a bite of cake, Zoe's blissful expression froze slightly at Li Lin's words, then quickly returned to her carefree demeanor.
"Oh, right. It's an urgent message. The Celestials want me to deliver a warning, or a sign, to Pantheon, advising him to return to the celestial realm soon, or else something bad will happen.
"I don't know the specifics, and I don't need to. Once I find Pantheon, the information will automatically sort itself and be conveyed to that arrogant guy... Actually, I really dislike him."
Hearing Zoe mention the message and Pantheon, Li Lin was stunned for a few seconds before suddenly realizing.
In this timeline, the War Aspect had taken over Atreus's body for decades. The Celestials might have foreseen Pantheon's fall and urgently wanted him back in the celestial realm to avoid disaster.
But they hadn't learned from the past, not realizing that Zoe would be as unreliable as ever, failing to deliver the message to Pantheon in time.
This eventually led to Aatrox, the Darkin Blade, seeking him out, battling him from the ground to the sky, and finally ending with a "Death Sentence" that severed Pantheon's celestial constellation through his connection with Atreus.
Li Lin couldn't help but mourn for Pantheon.
With Zoe as the current Aspect of Twilight, you really drew the short straw...
"But before that, it's been a long time since I visited Runeterra. I need to have some fun... First, I'll visit Ionia to touch Ahri's tails, then return to Mount Targon to watch star butterflies, find a unicorn, and finally eat some chocolate or cherry mooncakes!"
Zoe finished all the desserts the mechanical soldiers brought, then casually wiped her mouth with a napkin from the basket, shifting her body closer to Li Lin.
"Actually, I planned to go to Ionia first, but I got distracted by a spark flying towards the sky outside Runeterra..."
As she spoke, Zoe slowly inched closer on the rock, moving towards Li Lin, who was gazing up at the vast starry sky.
By the time he noticed the movement and reacted, Zoe had already straddled his knees, slightly lifting herself to wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.
Feeling her warm breath on his face, Li Lin was bewildered by her sudden intimacy. "What are you doing?"
He tried to break free, but as a mere mortal, even with his body enhanced by potions, he couldn't match the strength of a "goddess."
"I never knew boys existed before. Now, I just want someone to hold my hand, look deep into my eyes... Of course, he has to be handsome!"
Zoe's lips curled into a mischievous smile, her eyes reflecting endless stars. "When I saw you, I knew you were my knight in shining armor!"
Wait... This script doesn't seem right. Aren't you supposed to be chasing after Ezreal, the blond kid, and meddling in his business with Lux?
Why this sudden love at first sight with me?
Li Lin was completely bewildered.
He took a deep breath of the cool air, but what filled his nostrils was the unfamiliar fragrance emanating from Zoe.
Compared to the subtle violet scent on Caitlyn, Zoe's scent was more...
No, wait!
Why am I even comparing?
Li Lin quickly shook his head, pushing aside his jumbled thoughts. "No... Wait a minute!"
Zoe tilted her head, looking puzzled. "You like girls, and I'm a girl too. So, you should like me, shouldn't you?"
Who taught you these twisted ideas...
"Setting aside the fact that relationships between men and women need to be cultivated, I already have a girlfriend, Zoe. You shouldn't..."
"Are you talking about Caitlyn? Caitlyn Kiramman?" Zoe raised an eyebrow teasingly, seemingly unconcerned. "I'm not saying Caitlyn is a bad girlfriend, but you deserve better!"
As she spoke, Zoe raised her eyebrows, tapping her chest with her right hand, a look on her face that seemed to say, "You know what I mean."
This sounded so familiar...
In the game, Zoe often triggered this Easter egg when meeting Ezreal.
Now, am I the "victim" in this situation?
Li Lin sighed. "Zoe, relationships require understanding each other's personalities. How can you joke about my future like this?"
Zoe's expression turned serious. "I'm not joking. I'm serious!"
Li Lin fell silent, unsure how to handle her.
After careful consideration, he spoke again, posing a question that left Zoe deeply conflicted: "So, in your heart, what's more important to you, me or a chocolate mooncake?"
Zoe hesitated for a moment. "Of course, it's you..."
"Don't lie!"
"Um..." She made an unintelligible whimper. "This is too hard to choose. You're cheating!"
"You really don't understand what love is, Zoe."
Li Lin grasped her wrist, gently removing her small hand from around his neck.
"Liking a person is different from liking an object."
Zoe blinked, her eyes filled with puzzled curiosity. "But..."
Li Lin didn't give her a chance to speak or argue. "Ordinary liking can also be called affection, indicating a happy and pleasant feeling. It can also be interested in something, liking is a feeling that contains multiple emotions.
"But liking people is different... Initially, it can be a kind of good feeling, according to the mutual understanding of the two people to grind, gradually grind, will gradually develop into different feelings.
"Not only admiration, but also admiration, admiration, admiration, etc., you have to understand first, what kind of liking you have for me, and really clarify your own mind, rather than hastily draw conclusions."
After listening to Li Lin's guidance, Zoe's small face showed a little tangled and fell into contemplation.
Just as he thought he had convinced this little girl, Zoe's next words almost choked Li Lin with his own saliva.
"I like everything around me, animals, plants and so on, but I am very clear, my feelings for them, and my feelings for you, are completely different!"
Zoe suddenly raised her head, pulling herself back into distance from Li Lin again. "The reason why you are so resistant to me is that you haven't realized how great I am, right?"
Li Lin: "..."
(End of Chapter)
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